makingmark

One other impression from the Times Up Folder Festival today.

Steven from bFold had his personal Brompton there, and it had the raw lacquer finish. For this finish, Brompton just coats the steel parts of the bike in lacquer, so the grey shows through, and the welds are gold color. A good photo of this is here:

https://www.greenspeed.com.au/brompton/raw.html

I tell you this, if I ever get another Brompton, this is the finish I will get (my current one is orange and black, which is quite sporty, distinctive and visible). It's beautiful but wonderfully subtle. Not that I ever intend to lock my bike to a rack, but if mine were next to the raw finish bike, I'm sure mine would be the one stolen.

EvilV

I've seen one of these and I agree it is a beautiful kind of finish. The golden brazing looks fantastic. I'd love one.

folder fanatic

For my next folding bike purchase, it will be a Brompton. Even with the extra cost of around 100 US dollars for this finish, I will buy it. I think it is so unique and beautiful. It shows off the Brompton's frame to it's highest point, rather than covering it up with a paint job. And it is the next interpretation of a custom bike that I want to explore. It will have a postmodern feel-a real bike of the twenty-first century. And it will have many of the improvements that the Brompton designers, craftspeople, and engineers quietly added on over the years.

mulleady

I've seen one in person, the lacqeur looks fantastic. it's the nicest finish I've ever seen on the Brompton. Very sophisticated.

I have applied at work for the Cycle scheme and once the voucher is processed, I plan to get one with the raw lacquer finish, Son Dymano hub lights and the 8 speed SA hub mod from Kinetics. I'll keep you posted and if all goes according to plan, I'll post some pics when the time comes!

14R 

Thank you

Me and my Brompton with RL finish in one of my recent trips

CHenry

I have seen this only in pictures, and it is a very attractive finish. That "golden" color is brass used in the brazing, and the frames are brushed before clearcoating, a step that requires more handwork and that isn't needed on the colored finish frames.

I am curious to know whether this is a wet clearcoat or a powder clearcoat. I have read that wet clearcoat without paint beneath is more susceptible to rusting than when applied over paint as an outer finish layer. Can anyone provide clarification? ;-)

LittlePixel

It's a deff powdercoat. They have been seen to be showing off 3 separate clear finishes at recent shows, hinting they plan to offer more clear options, based on gloss, matt and mid (eggshell) versions of same.

doco

I wish all folder manufacturers would offer that raw look, very classy

PDR

I have been studying the various Brompton brochures and online sties as my Sister living in Germany wants me to buy a new Brompton for her here in the UK where I can get the bike £280 cheaper than she can in Germany.

I tried out a few Bromptons yesterday and I’m sure that I will buy one myself at some point….. and I do like the raw lacquer finish.

Anyhow, I spoke to one dealer about the raw lacquer finish who informed me that it is not as durable as the normal paint and once chipped rust can appear underneath.

Another dealer told me that the local council has been buying Bromptons with this finish for employees as it is less likely that the bikes will be stolen.

mulleady

That's odd PDR that the council would think that finish would attract less thieves. I'd have thought anyone with common sense would not leave a Brompton locked outside in London, especially after that documentary 'Gone in 60 seconds'. Apart from that I'd actually would have thought the raw lacquer finish looks more sophisticated and expensive than some of the colour options (not all as that's very subjective).

LittlePixel

If you have the ways/means locally, you could get the old paint particle-blasted off your current steel bike and re-powdercoated in clear. Whether the brazed joints will look as good is down to luck though

PDR

That is a very nice looking Brompton!

The chain wheel and brake levers don’t look to be standard? Could you tell me what mods you have done to your bike please.

14R 

Thank you. This bike is a result of approximately 4 years into folding and several attempts with other bikes.

The brake levers are now Shimano road bike flatbar levers. Everything else is the same from this post.

mrmotley

"Anyhow, I spoke to one dealer about the raw lacquer finish who informed me that it is not as durable as the normal paint and once chipped rust can appear underneath."

"Another dealer told me that the local council has been buying Bromptons with this finish for employees as it is less likely that the bikes will be stolen. [/QUOTE]"

Sounds like there are some dealers out there with some standard color inventory to sell

My raw lacquer M6L arrived yesterday and it is even more beautiful that I had anticipated. I bought the bike sight unseen over the web, and made the choice to pay up for the raw lacquer finish (over green) at the very last minute. I am not disappointed. To me it doesn't look at all like what I envisioned it would be: a silvery lacquered steel. Rather, and to borrow a color from Audi, it looks more like "Dakar Beige." Of course the brass at the joints adds a kind of modern industrial look. It is both modern and classy. I can't wait to get a nice honey-colored Brooks for it.

BTW David Lam at bfold.com in NYC is a top notch guy to buy from.

14R 

The fact that you can see the rust underneath if the paint is chipped is a good thing, isn't it? Just because you can't see that on opaque colors it doesn't mean it is not happening...